1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer equipment, and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus that allows humans to read displayed or printed text more quickly and easily. The invention is disclosed as a method of defining and displaying or printing words on a computer platform in an improved manner, so that sentences of words can be more quickly and accurately read by a person. A processing platform with a “subfont designer” computer program is provided in which a plurality of subfonts are used to define character sets for words to be displayed on a monitor screen, in which the various subfonts make the words more legible and faster to read either on the display, or on a printed hard copy. The computer program allows a font designer to select, from a plurality of various subfonts, individual styles for letters of words that are all defined within a same font set, and will later be used in displaying or printing words using those subfonts. The selected subfont depends on the position of characters within a word, and also depends upon the number of characters in that word. The font designer also may design a variety of entirely new subfonts for various characters of a font set, and again can define which subfonts are to be used in displaying or printing words, depending upon the position of characters within a word, and depending upon the number of characters of that word. The font designer may also manually define certain words for an “exception list.”
The invention also provides an “add-in logic” computer program that processes words of text, and automatically selects an appropriate subfont for each character of each word, according to the add-in logic processing rules. The selected subfonts will be generated according to the position of characters in a word, and according to the number of characters in the word, or will find the word in the “exception list” that was previously defined at the “subfont designer” stage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Readability: What makes text easy to read and how is it read?
There has been little change in the typography world in recent years. Although new fonts are developed every day, there has not been a big revolution, in terms of readability. Microsoft unveiled ClearType™ in late 1998 which aids in readability; however, almost ten (10) years have passed without anything new. Now, more than ever, the world is focusing on readability as people are spending more time reading on computer screens, but at the same time still relying on easy readability for printed text. There are major differences between reading on a screen and reading printed text.
Typeface:
There are many different bits and pieces that make up typeface. One does not necessarily need to know all of the names and definitions, but they may be of interest when choosing which font to use.
First, there are “strokes.” Jacci Howard Bear, of About.com states that strokes are “the main diagonal portion of a letterform such as in N, M, or Y.” This would be the slant of the letter making a stroke. Studying further, there are several types of strokes that make up characters. One type of stroke is a “stem.” The stem is generally the vertical line in a character. There may be two stems in some cases, such as the letter M, but some characters may not have a stem, such as the letter C. Looking at the letter A, it can be seen there is no vertical line for a stem; however, both slanted lines would be considered the stem (Bear, Stem).
The next type of stroke is called an “extender.” Extenders are known as both ascenders and descenders, going both above the x-height and below the baseline respectively. Examples of these letters would include p, l, y, and k.
An “arm” is another type of stroke. Arms are seen on letters such as F and T. Bear notes “the arm of a letter is the horizontal stroke on some characters that does not connect a stroke or stem at one or both ends.” Many people recognize arms as the lines which stick out from the letters. The letter K has an arm as well although it points upward instead of horizontally (Bear, Arms). “Crossbars” and “cross strokes” are both different than arms, but are part of the same idea. An example of a cross stroke would be the horizontal line of a lower case f, while an example of a crossbar would be an uppercase A, as it connects the strokes together (Bear, Crossbar). A crossbar connects one side of a letter to the other while a cross stroke does not.
“Tails” are known to be located on both capital and lower case characters. Often, on lower case letters, the descender is also called a tail. This is true for letters such as g and y. With capital letters, according to Bear, a “decorative stroke” is generally seen on a Q, as well as an R. Used interchangeably with a tail is a “leg.” A leg is the downward sloping line which extends towards, or even below, the baseline. Again, a Q and R can be said to have a leg.
Rounding out the array of strokes is a “bowl.” When imagining a bowl, the general populations would tend to think of a round or circular shape. This is the same with a bowl in terms of typeface as well. A bowl is the curved circular portion of a letter. For example, the letters a, d, O, and P all have a bowl.
The next section of typeface is the “counter.” The counter is the white space which appears around a curve or inside a letter. A variety of letters with prominent counter space include p, s, D, and B. The negative space does not just include the area inside a bowl, but also the area around a curved letter. These partially enclosed spaces are known as the “aperture.” Two common letters exhibiting aperture are m and h (Bear). Looking further, the letters C and u also have an open negative space. Finally, the space inside the lower case e has a unique name called the “eye.” This name is specific to the lower case e, as no other characters possess this same design.
There are also two other typeface designs exclusive to a certain letter. The first one is an “ear.” The ear is typically found on a lower case g, on the upper right side. Depending on the way a designer builds the g, this ear can make the font very original. Second, is the “chin.” Still working with the letter g, the chin relates to a capital G. Bear defines the chin as the “right angled stroke,” which meets with the vertical downward spur.
Moving further into the anatomy of typeface, “serifs” are the extra lines, or strokes, found at both the top and bottom of several letters. There are many fonts which include serifs as part of their typeface, while many other fonts do not. The appearance of serifs depends solely upon the designer of the typeface, as there are a variety of different characteristics to choose from. Depending upon the intended use of the font, a hairline, square, or wedge serif may be chosen. From here, it is then decided upon whether to use a “bracketed” or “unbracketed” type of serif.
Looking at a bracketed serif, there is an obvious curve linking the serif to the stem, some being very light while others are heavy and more defined. “Beaks” and “spurs” look like serifs, but are both different. Beaks are more ornamental and distinct than normal serifs. Spurs are also located at the end of a letter like a beak and serif, but have a more defined rounded edge as opposed to a pointed, sharper edge which is typically present on a serif character.
Size:
Every document should be created with a target audience in mind. After determining who the target audience is, an appropriate, readable font should be chosen and then its size should be established. Unlike some products, one size does not fit all in terms of font size. Matching font size to specific age groups aids in readability. Larger font sizes are ideal for younger and older audiences and small fonts should be avoided. A font between the point size of 10 to 12 is generally appropriate for most adult audiences and proficient readers, while children and beginning readers benefit from an average of 14. The term point measures the height of characters in a font, “each point being approximately 1/72 inch” (Wepopedia.com, 2004). Further, one must be aware of the differences in font size despite the same point size. Certain fonts may have a 12 point size, but be extensively larger than other fonts also measuring 12 point. It is necessary to take this into consideration and compare fonts and sizes before making a final decision. According to Bear, it is also important to pay attention to large blocks of text and be sure the reader will not tire easily from extensive reading.
Font:
The most recent readability development by Microsoft is ClearType™. This technology increases the resolution of the text by essentially blurring the edges to make the font appear more clearly on screen. With added resolution, the sharpness of the type is enhanced, in turn making the text more readable, particularly over long periods of time. Microsoft researched this new method of readability for two (2) years before coming to the conclusion “that reading is a form of pattern recognition.” Further, researchers for Microsoft agreed all factors including the shape and spacing must collectively work together to give words a recognized pattern. This product was first developed and marketed to ebook readers and others who used small handheld devices for daily reading. It was not until later that Microsoft introduced the product to computers for common, everyday use (Microsoft, 2002).
A study performed by Ascender Corporation in 2004 found the following fonts to be the most widely used on the front cover of newspapers. There were nearly one hundred (100) newspapers involved in this study and ten (10) appear to have emerged as the top. In order of popularity, the typeface families include Poynter, Helvetica, Franklin Gothic, Times, Utopia, Nimrod, Century Old Style, Interstate, Bureau Grotesque, and Miller. This study analyzed print (hard copy) versions of newspapers, as it is known print and online editions are not necessarily the same font.
Serif vs. Sans Serif:
It has been noted that fonts composed of rounded corners create a more effortless reading experience (Van Wagener, 2005). The rounded corners allow the readers' eyes to flow more easily from one word to the next. However, serif fonts also create a definite direction which “helps to lead the eye along the horizontal path that makes for effortless recognition of successive ‘patterns’ of words” (Hill, 1999).
Examples of Serif: Times, Rockwell, Courier, Bodoni, Century Schoolbook
Examples of Sans Serif: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, Futura, Franklin Gothic
Word, Letter, Line Spacing, and Line Length:
When letters, words, and sentences are packed together tightly, the ease of reading becomes more difficult and harder to comprehend. “Kerning” and “tracking” are two typographical terms often confused with each other, but both help to increase and decrease the space between type. Line spacing is known as leading.
“Kerning” is the adjustment of space between pairs of characters to make for a more readable text. Often, when two characters are placed next to each other, there is extra unnecessary space which can be reduced by kerning. For example, if one were to look at the letters AV without kerning, it would be seen as AV. With kerning, the letters would become closer together, appearing as AV. This is often used with larger fonts, 18 points and higher. Further kerning can be used to increase the amount of space between two characters and is generally used with accented letters.
Letter spacing in text should follow a general set of rules according to Bill Hill, Microsoft researcher and author of “The Magic of Reading.” He suggests letters should be spaced as tight as possible, ensuring the best reading opportunity. Moreover, studies have shown the wider apart letters are, the more difficult it is to interpret. Finally, he suggests letter spacing should remain constant throughout the entire text passage as successful reading relies greatly on pattern recognition. It is important to have more space between words than between letters. Creating a defined space at the end of each word allows the eyes to see and the brain to process the ending of one word and beginning of another.
“Tracking” adds an even amount of space to a whole block of text or group of words instead of specific letters, as kerning does. While kerning fixes improper spacing between letters, tracking has the ability to change the whole appeal of the text. It can alter a selection of text in order to keep the text on the same page or line.
“Leading,” often known as line spacing, is the space between lines of text. It is normally measured in points, just as type, and is measured from baseline to baseline. About.com Guide Jacci Howard Bear suggests adding two (2) points to the point size of your text for a general starting point to adjust line spacing. It is important to have the lines of text spaced well to maximize readability. In addition to space between lines, consistency of the line length is an important issue to address. People tend to recognize and rely on patterns (line length proving to be a great example). If readers can predict when their eye is to move from the end of one line to the beginning of the next, they are able to more easily flow through the whole text. An abrupt line ending causes the eye and brain to be disrupted, unnecessarily setting back the overall reading rate. It is ideal to ensure all text lines are about the same length, which tends to be between ten and fourteen words.
How Learning to Read is Accomplished:
When learning to read, the typical process is to recognize letters and put each of them together to decipher, and then read, a word. Through repeated exposure, the reader's brain develops and recognizes the basic pattern of letters. Expanding, the reader begins to notice the whole word and then patterns of words. After this pattern is comprehended, it is noted as a “gestalt” (Hill, 1999). The term, gestalt, is defined as “unified whole” and refers to the tendency most people have to organize things they see into groups, or unified wholes (The Gestalt Principles). In more recent years, it has been suggested learning in a “letter-then-word” manner is a more effective strategy. This style of learning is in line with how the Chinese learn, as each character in their language is a word or phrase (Hill, 1999). The Chinese learn words and phrases before going back to examine what is comprised of each. Neither style of learning to read has been proven to be better, but more recently, Hill suggests teaching reading has shifted more attention to whole words instead of letters. It is necessary to take both ideas into consideration as a justifiable point is made by Taylor and Taylor, noting that although the idea has shifted more towards learning whole words, then letters, many readers do not ever advance beyond the letter recognition stage. It is agreed that weaker readers may always have to identify letters before recognizing a word and even more advanced readers may have to revert back to letter and word-part recognition when a complex word greets them.
There are many subliminal processes that take effect when reading; however, word recognition is known as the principal process. Most people remember learning to read and recognize words. “A mere one hundred words make up a full fifty percent of the words read, even by adults,” according to leading textbook publisher Houghton Mifflin, through EduPlace.com. These high frequency words are learned and memorized due to their repetitive nature in everyday text and speech. One can look at word recognition as taking a “walk through a friendly neighborhood park, where almost all of the people met are old friends whom are recognized immediately” (Hill, 1999). These “people” recognized immediately are equal to the common words seen and comprehended everyday. Now, still in the park, if someone new is seen, they may be befriended and remembered in the future, just as with a new word, one tends to use a dictionary to define and store it in memory. “Memory is the key to reading, from the simple mundane act of recognizing a single letter, to comprehending a whole sentence or passage of text” (Taylor & Taylor, 1983). Much research has been completed on whether or not long-term or short-term memory takes a bigger role in reading, but all agree pattern recognition is key. There is not a definite answer on how people process pattern recognition, whether it be by individual letters, words, groups of words, or phrases, but upon seeing text, the brain recognizes a pattern and then mentally interprets it (Hill, 1999).
When reading, people subconsciously use two different types of eye motions, “saccades” and “fixations.” Louis Emile Javal, a late French ophthalmologist is responsible for coining the word saccade as well as for completing much of the research on eye movement while reading.
“Saccades,” according to Merriam-Webster, are “small rapid jerky movements of the eye.” Saccades take the eyes from one group of text to the next, being the path the eye follows between fixations. “Fixations” are known as brief pauses of the eye during the saccades. During a fixation is when information being read begins to be processed. Early readers generally tend to fixate on each word individually while more experienced readers learn to fixate on a single word and take in the words to the left and right of the fixation point. By focusing in the center of a few words, the eyes make fewer fixations; therefore, the reader flows through the text more quickly. Javal's findings helped determine the average fixation duration at 200-250 milliseconds, while the extremes span from 100 to 500 milliseconds (Rayner, 1983). The average saccade length is 100 milliseconds, half of an average fixation length. With these durations known, conclusions can be drawn that is more efficient for readers to have longer saccade lengths with shorter fixation durations. With longer saccades, adept readers read through more text in a shorter amount of time. They are able to have longer saccades with fewer fixations. Less experienced readers tend to have shorter saccades with longer fixations which result in longer reading times, as fixations generally last twice as long as a saccade. Readers in this category are more likely to be reading almost every word individually instead of focusing on one word while expanding their sight to also see words to the right and left, as the more experienced readers would. Further research on this topic is underway as there is still much unknown in terms of how the eye works in regard to reading.
What is needed in the art is a more readable font for use on computer displays, which are in use more and more. Many persons spend almost their entire working days viewing such computer displays, and much of the data being displayed is in text form (i.e., words and/or numbers).
What is also needed in the art is a more readable font for use as printed text. Again, many persons spend almost their entire working days reading hard copy printed materials, and much of that information is in text form (i.e., words and/or numbers).